Mutoscope



' A ril 27, 1943. A, ERGER 2,317,881

MUTOS COPE Filed June 13, 1942 L I!" l l Ill" e0 16 30 t 1 ,n' W1 @51 Q I W 1a 7 J4 INVENTOR: Adolf/L Berg BY W M ATTORNEY;

Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUTOSCOPE Adolph Berger, New York, N. Y. Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 447,001

2 Claims.

The object of the invention is a mutoscope of that kind which consists of a flat base plate provided with a picture of an object and an elastic cover sheet provided with a picture of the same object in another posture. Said plate and sheet are connected in a zone located at one side of said pictures, and said cover sheet has a tendency to curve or coil itself toward said zone.

By rythmically flattening down the cover sheet onto the base plate the impression of movement of said object is caused in a well known manner.

According to the invention for said flattening a flat side is provided, guided for reciprocating motion on said base plate, and having a Wiper member adapted to flatten the cover sheet under the influence of said motion.

Thereby the desired effect is obtained in a much better and more reliable manner than by flattening the cover sheet merely by using a pencil or even a finger for that purpose.

Besides said slide serves the useful purpose of keeping the cover sheet in flat position, and preventing thereby crushing of said sheet in a reliable manner, during transportation of the device in the mail or in the pocket of a garment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the object of the invention is shown by way of example.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the mutoscope with the slide in elevated position;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the mutoscope with the slide in lowered position;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the slide;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

The device consists of the flat and stifi base plate 6 and the elastic coversheet 1 attached to said base plate in the upper zone 8 by glue or any other convenient means.

The coversheet 'l is treated by rolling or in any other suitable manner so as to have a tendency to curl or coil itself upwardly toward the zone 8 as indicated in the lower part of Fig. 1.

On the lower part of the base plate is shown the picture of an animal, for instance a greyhound 9, with legs I0, I! widely spread apart.

On the corresponding part of the coversheet is shown the picture of the same greyhound 9 with the legs in the converging positions It and II.

For producing the mutoscopic or stroboscopic efiect a slide I2 is provided in the form of a buckle consisting of two end pieces l3, l4 and three transversal webs I5, 16, and I1.

The webs l5 and I! are located substantially in a common plane. The web I5, however, is offset from said plane as seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

Hence, the slide 12 can be threaded upon the unit formed .by the parts 6 and l in the manner shown in. Fig. 1 and is movable along said unit back and forth in the sense of the arrow I8.

In this movement the webs l5 and I! are sliding along and guided upon the rear face of the base plate 6, whereas the web l6 slides along the front face of the cover sheet 1.

By the downward movement of the slide the sheet '1 is flattened down from the curled position of Fig. l to the flat position of Fig. 2.

When the slide is moved upward again the sheet I automatically curls itself upward to the position of Fig. 1 by its elasticity.

For avoiding accidental detachment of the slide from the base plate the latter is provided with any convenient stop e. g. with lateral projections or cars 19 serving as abutments for the upstanding end parts 20 of the web It.

In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 2 the elastic cover sheet 1 acts as a leaf spring pressing the webs I5 and IT against the rear face of the base plate 6. Thereby a brakelike action is caused holding the slide l2 frictionally in the position of Fig. 2 in a very reliable manner.

Thereby the cover sheet 1 is reliably held flat on the base plate during transportation so that such sheet will not be crushed in the mail or when carried in a dress pocket.

What I claim is:

1. In a mutoscope the combination of a base plate provided with a picture of an object, an elastic cover sheet provided with a picture of said object in another posture, a connection of said plate and sheet in a zone located at one side of said pictures, said sheet tending elastically to curve itself toward said zone, a flat slide guided for reciprocating motion on said plate, and a wiper member on said slide adapted to flatten said sheet under the influence of said motion.

2. In a mutoscope the combination of a base plate provided with a picture of an object, an elastic cover sheet provided with a picture of said object in another posture, a connection of said plate and sheet in a zone located at one side of said pictures, said sheet tending elastically to curve itself toward said zone, a flat slide guided for reciprocating motion on said plate, a Wiper member on said slide adapted to flatten said sheet under the influence of said motion,

and a stop adapted to prevent accidental detachment of said slide from said plate.

ADOLPH BERGER. 

